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Claire had to turn away from Liam again so he wouldn’t spot the ridiculous smile on her lips. She just couldn’t help it. This was one of the most exciting experiences of her life.

Those around her had ducked their heads, focusing on their phones or closing their eyes with headphones in their ears. But not Claire. She wanted to drink in every moment, remember and savor every experience she had.

If Melody was there, Claire would have been able to be her usual, giddy self. Instead, she had to check her excitement so Liam didn’t think she was a total noob…Even though she was.

After a few stops at a few different stations, and one change of lines from Piccadilly to Circle, the two of them stepped out into the fresh air at Bayswater Station and headed in the direction of Kensington Gardens.

“This way you get to see more flowers and plants,” Liam explained.

Claire looked up at him, trying to bring the cold from outside into the warmth that was suddenly entering her heart at his thoughtful gesture.

“You’re sure you won’t be bored to death?” she asked, recalling the time he’d spent on his phone at Kew Gardens.

He merely shook his head. “Every true Englishman enjoys a good walk around a garden.”

She wanted to ask him why he’d appeared so bored at the Temperate House then, but she bit her tongue. She, just like him, had to obey the rules of kindness that morning.

Just before they entered Kensington Gardens through the black, wrought iron gates, the two of them exchanged numbers at Liam’s bidding. “Just in case you do actually get lost,” he said with another twinkle in his eye.

This time, oddly enough, Claire didn’t feel so upset.

Despite the fact that she was still missing Melody, Claire couldn’t deny how glad she was to have Liam’s help, as his route was far better than the one she’d chosen for herself.

Not only did they see Kensington Palace and Hyde Park, but they also visited the Princess Diana Memorial Garden, the Royal Albert Hall, the Albert Monument, The Serpentine, and then, finally, the grand Buckingham Palace—and it had only added an extra hour to their travels.

At each location, after Liam had led her to the areas with the best views, Claire had to sneakily snap a quick selfie when he had his back turned to her. She would have asked him to take a photo of her himself, but after he’d accused her of basically being addicted to social media at the airport, she didn’t want him to assume that she was so self-involved she needed a picture of herself at every location, even though she kinda did.

Throughout the morning, neither of them spoke much beyond the occasional question Claire had about a certain statue or body of water. The conversation never strayed to anything personal, and Claire was more than fine with that. She was way too distracted with the sights to dwell on anything else.

Well, she was distracted with the sights, and of course, with Liam’s face which had grown even more attractive with the tip of his nose and his cheeks turning all rosy in the cold air.

At half past eleven, they left the palace behind and headed down the Mall. On their way, Claire spotted a red, double decker bus and a few black taxis in the distance.

That settled it. She was in love with London. The atmosphere, the energy of the city, the bustling life around her.

She had loved driving by the gorgeous sights and exploring gardens and tours, but there was something far more satisfying about walking where everyday people walked, about getting a small taste of their real lives—lives that seemed like a dream compared to her own.

If this was what traveling the world was really like, no wonder her parents loved it as much as they did. If only they wished to travel with her, instead of merely sharing the details when they returned.

She hesitated before pulling out her phone. She hadn’t received any messages from her parents yet. They were probably out of service on the cruise or just busy or something.

But that shouldn’t stop her from messaging them.

Claire: Hey, Mom! Walking around London today. No wonder you guys love to travel so much. It’s so exciting!

She hesitated, then typed out another message.

Claire: How is the cruise going? Miss you and love you both.

She sent the message, then a few of the selfies she’d taken, before sliding the phone back in her pocket and replacing her gloves over her frigid fingertips.

She didn’t expect a response back for a few days, if she received one at all. Her parents weren’t superb communicators, especially while on vacation. On cruises, they were even worse, even though they always paid for Wi-Fi. Claire just figured they weren’t very good at keeping tabs on who messaged them and when.

“Was that Melody?”

Claire glanced up, finding Liam’s eyes on her.

“What? Oh, no,” she responded. “I was just sending a message to my mom.”